Cost of accepting credit cards in Switzerland

I am opening a small bakery (cupcakes, muffins) and I am deciding whether to stick to cash only or to accept cards as well. Could you tell me how much it would cost me to accept credit cards in Switzerland? What about debit cards? Is it cheaper if I accept just debit cards and not credit cards?

Hi there,

Interchange fees, point of sale (POS) terminal rental and other charges vary considerably between merchant acquirers. The fees you pay also depend on the category of business you run, and the volume of transactions acheived. Small businesses which aren't transacting huge amounts of money every month will generally pay higher fees than businesses with a high card-based turnover.

The amount you pay to accept a card transaction also depends on whether a credit card or debit card is used. What types of credit cards and debit cards you accept will also influence pricing. If you only want to accept debit cards (Postfinance or Maestro cards), for example, you will pay less than you would if you chose to accept credit cards. A flat-rate fee is charged for debit card transactions.

Typically, you can expect to pay fees equal to between 2-3% of each credit card transaction. When you accept debit cards, you will pay between 23 centimes (Postfinance card) and 30 centimes (Maestro card) for each transaction.

You are also free to add a surcharge when customers choose to pay using credit cards, but customers may not be happy with this arrangement. Excluding credit cards or encouraging your customers to pay with debit cards or cash may be a better solution.

Best regards from Moneyguru